Dan Smith

Dan Smith is CEO and Founder of Smith Publicity, the most prolific book marketing agency in the publishing industry, with over 3,000 books promoted since 1997. From first-time, self-published authors to New York Times bestsellers, Smith Publicity promotes every genre, and has secured media coverage for authors and books with every top media outlet in the U.S. and Canada. The firm has offices in Cherry Hill, NJ, and Toronto. Contact Smith Publicity at info@smithpublicity.com.

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Recent Posts

The self-help and wellness industry is thriving. In the U.S. alone, the personal development industry takes in just under $10 billion annually. Books represent a substantial part of this market. So, while this means there is indeed great potential with such a robust market for self-help authors, it also means the competition is fierce. With self-help book marketing, you must make you and your book stand out from the crowd.

Book publicity can be defined in one sentence: it is using the media as a conduit to spread word of an author and book to general and/or target audiences. It really is, in its simplest form, a “you scratch their back, they scratch yours” scenario. You, the author, offer great material or ideas for a story, article, broadcast interview, podcast, etc., and the host or editor “plugs” your book. Here are 15 important tips to consider when you’re trying to get media attention and coverage to promote your book.

A great book publicity campaign can be derailed by a poor author website. A quality website is essential in our increasingly digitally-based world, and is a powerful book marketing tool to introduce audiences to you and your book.

Frustration between media and authors can be a frequent occurrence. And warranted on both sides. But since the media ultimately holds the power when it comes to what they decide to cover, here are a few tips to help you avoid certain things that could keep you from having a spot!

Book marketing doesn't have to be complicated, but it also can't be taken lightly. For self-published authors, there are many book marketing strategies and tactics that can be employed, and while some may seem quite direct, or even relatively “simple,” it’s very easy to make mistakes that can derail a book promotion campaign. There are generally accepted methods and many nuances in book publicity, and if you’re going to market your own book, don’t sabotage yourself by making avoidable mistakes.

It seems simple enough: a media contact or blogger, online reviewer, etc. requests a copy of your book. So, you toss it into an envelope and send it off. Request fulfilled. Done. Well . . . perhaps not so fast.

It’s a matter of seconds. Perhaps 10, maybe up to 20, but that’s about it. That’s how much time you have to get the attention of an editor or producer when you pitch your book or pitch yourself as the author. It's commonly referred to as the elevator pitch and there's an art to perfecting it.

Most book publicists agree: compared to working with non-fiction, securing traditional media coverage for novels can be challenging. Unless it’s a household name author, how can a novelist who wrote a made-up story, get meaningful broadcast and print media coverage? That is the nature of fiction, after all – it’s not real and therefore inherently not newsworthy. But fiction can indeed be turned into “real” media coverage, you just need to get a little creative.